1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hand-held diagnostic instruments for either clinical or industrial use, and is specifically directed to a device that employs a miniature video camera and a self-contained light source. The instrument of the present invention can be a video probe, a video otoscope, a nasal scope, an epidural scope, or any one of a number of other diagnostic scopes. The instrument can also be designed for particular industrial inspections as, for example, examination of recessed equipment parts.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Miniature video cameras have recently been incorporated into a wide variety of diagnostic instruments for producing a video image of a concealed target. Such instruments include, for example, laparoscopes, endoscopes, and borescopes. These prior devices require a separate source of illumination, and a fiber optic conduit to carry the light forward to illuminate the target.
In addition to this known video technology used in association with these relatively large diagnostic instruments, a number of smaller diagnostic instruments exist for the direct examination of tissue so that a medical practitioner can diagnose the health of such tissue by inspection of a particular patient. These types of diagnostic instruments include, for example, otoscopes, epidural scopes, and dental mirrors. Such instruments, however, require the practitioner to place the practitioner's eye near or on the instrument to conduct an inspection of the subject target while an image of the inspected tissue remains solely as a mental impression within the practitioner's memory. It is impossible with these conventional instruments to create any sort of hard copy record or permanent image of the object or target under inspection.